SAINT GERVAIS LES BAINS – It's not often that you have the most important man for the yellow jersey at your disposal for half an hour. So when Sepp Kuss comes to sit down before lunch on the second day of rest in the hotel of the Jumbo VismaThe list of things to ask him is as long as the road that took us from Bilbao to the shadow of Mont Blanc. He is calm and well-disposed. He reassures us that the blow to the arm is okay and indulges in an interesting reflection on those who watch the Tour through the phone screen and cause falls.
«People often don't think about the consequences of their actions – says Kuss – instead in that fall yesterday, In place of Kuss, even one of the top three could have finished and months of investment by major teams would have been wasted. This doesn't make me angry, I just don't understand itIt goes beyond being a spectator of cycling. In the age of Instagram and Tiktok, everyone wants a selfie.. Instead you should go to the Tour for enjoy the atmosphere and watch the race with your own eyes, not on the phone screen."
What do you think of this Tour?
It probably is the Tour with the lowest gap in a long timeThere have been very different stages with different results and now here we are at the second day of rest with 10 seconds between the first two. The most important thing is that Jonas feels good, he is confident and he trusts us. It's really nice when you know your leader is strong and can motivate you..
Did you think you'd arrive at the Tour at such a high level after doing the Giro?
After the Giro I felt really good, even better than before when I was making it. When I do the Tour and the Vuelta, I always do better at the Vuelta, so it could be that I was better here in France than in Italy. But the level of the Tour is so high, you can't compare it to any other race.
How did you spend the time between the Giro and the Tour?
I have been at home in Andorra, there was no need to go up high or anythingI needed to get back into my routine, because racing and training camps are mentally tough. I enjoy training for a big race, but sometimes it's better to do it alone., on my own terms and in my own space. So I took some days off, but still pedaling leisurely for a week. And then I started a more or less normal workout.
Is it true that you're going to the Vuelta to help Roglic again?
If the Tour is as tough as it has been so far, then we'll see if I have anything left for the VueltaBut the plan is to follow through. Even after the Giro I wasn't sure if I would go to the Tour, because I still had to take a few weeks to see if I felt well enough. I don't want to go to a big race if I feel less than 100 percent.It's difficult to plan.
Do you ever think you could be a leader in a big race yourself?
It's hard to say, because I'm a better rider when I'm not thinking about what I have to do or should doIn that case, the outcome could be different. It's really hard to say. I'd love the opportunity, but There are so many good riders in this team that there aren't many opportunitiesThey are among the best in the world and I have no problem helping them.
Don't you ever think you deserve a chance?
Yes, for sure. I think the team knows that, but it's also pretty clear that If you're the last man on the mountain, you can't get into the breakaways for a stage win. Well, I'd like to try for just one race, but I also like to have the freedom of not having to be a leaderIt's not easy to manage the tension of the most nervous situations and I don't think a leader would be allowed to ride at the back of the group on flat stages. In my role, however, I am stressed for them, not for myself. I know and manage the nervousness you feel before a mountain stage, but It's different from a crosswind stage or a sprint finish.
What is your contribution to this team?
I think I just bring support to the mountains, being there at key moments. Sometimes I have great days, sometimes not so much. But the more consistent I am, the more they can rely on me. There are many situations where I can do more, when I can stay with the leader as long as possible, accelerating or following certain attacks. And this is a necessary quality. If you can put pressure on others at a very critical moment, then this can make a difference. Much more than riding at a steady pace ahead of the pack.
But it's your pace that's putting them in difficulty.
It's motivating to know that the strongest riders can't keep up with my pace, but together I also try not to get too excited, because it doesn't take much to explodeSometimes it's easier to follow your own pace than someone else's.
What does it mean that it is motivating?
I'm more of an emotional rider than a cold rider who just has to go at his own pace. If I disconnect, then I lose motivationBut if I'm leading the race, then I can feed off those emotions.
What are the differences between Roglic and Vingegaard as leaders?
They are both very calm and relaxed. Jonas is clear about how he wants the stage or how he feelsPrimoz, on the other hand, likes to see everything in the bigger picture, see what his rivals are like and then decide how he wants to set up the stage.
You always have that inscrutable poker player expression, always with your mouth closed…
Usually I can't breathe hard enough to open my mouth, but my legs hurt. and that's not funny. There are different levels of pain, but some riders can go so deep that they are unreachableI'm not backing down, but there's a limit, especially in my role. Does it make sense to give 110 percent if I can't do it tomorrow, or is it better to give 90 percent? However, I feel the worst pain on flat roads. (laughs, ed.).
We use words like "fight" and "suffering." When you start pushing on the climbs, do you want to make Pogačar suffer? What's the goal?
I want to pedal at a pace that It favors Jonas and his characteristics and prevents Pogacar from doing what he does best.They're very different riders, and I have to favor my leader. I think he'll win in the mountains.
What's your relationship with Adam Yates? You play the same role, do you sometimes want to destroy him?
We actually have a good relationship, our wives are watching the stages together on the same couch and with our dogsAdam has a really big dog, I have a very small one. I have no rivalry with anyone because I'm not fighting with anyone, while I think Jonas and Pogacar are unlikely to be friends.
We'll tell you the rest of this meeting another time. In the age of the internet, articles that are too long are not read to the end. and then it would be better to dedicate space another time to his cycling beginnings on the roads of Colorado, to his life in Europe and what people in America think of cycling. We'll come back to that., half an hour of interview cannot be compressed into these few minutes…
